I have an issue in my 94 civic ex, where the fuel pump will not prime. Like a dumb dumb, I thought oh just change it and you'll be good, didn't work. So I decided to check the voltage on the wires, and they both shot bad. I then tested the fuses(#24 and 31) and they shot good. I was going to try checking the continuity on the wire, but I can't seem to find where the wire ends up engine side. If anyone has any insight on this issue it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Main relay??
www.youtube.com/watch?v=viIZ8k60awY
His soldering skill are crap!!

 

I was going to say, Eric don't quit your day job, just about everything that can be wrong with that soldering job is wrong, starting with the dirtiest soldering tip I have ever seen, no wonder he is having such a hard time transferring heat.

However, he is correct, it is a very common problem on Honda/Acura PGM-FI Main Relays.
I have re-soldered 3 of them this year already, the last one, [98 Honda Accord] that may have already been done by Eric.

The first thing you need to do is unplug the PGM-FI Main Relay and test for powers and ground in the harness/plug, there are three (3) powers and a ground.

With ign. off there will be one power lead, [hot at all times] most likely a yellow/white or white/black.

With the ign. in the run position there will be a second power, [hot in run and start], most likely black/yellow or yellow/green.

With the ign. switch in the start position there is the third power. [hot when cranking to start only], most likely blue/white.

No mater what the wire colors are there is one power with the ign off, two powers with the ign. on and 3 powers when cranking to start.
If so, fuses and wiring to the plug are good.

There is one ground lead, always black, full continuity to chassis ground at all times.

If all the above is good, plug the PGM-FI Main Relay back in and turn on the ign, switch, you should hear/feel at least one "click" from the PGM-FI Main Relay, if so, test for a forth power, most likely yellow/black, it is the fuel injector relays output, also test for power at the fuel injectors, [wire that is the same color at all four injectors, almost always the same color as the fuel injector relays output, whatever color it is].

Power at the injectors confirms injector relays output.

If all still good, turn off the ign. use a paperclip, [or scrap piece of wire] and jump from the power lead that is hot at all times, [the first one you found] to the fuel pump pwer lead, almost always a yellow/green.

If you have been marking down what you have been finding, [wire colors and what they are] when you go to do the jump, there should only be two wires left, the fuel pump power lead, [fuel pump relay output] and as mentioned is most likely yellow/green and the fuel pump relays control lead from the ECU/ECM.

If the jump from the power lead, [hot at all times] to the fuel pump power lead turns on the fuel pump, it confirms the pump and wiring to the pump is good.

One last test, and you have only one lead left in the plug, the ECU/ECM fuel pump relays control lead, it is a differant color and diff. MM&Y Honda/Acura but may be a green/blue, green/yellow, green/black, black/yellow or something else.

No mater what colors the leads to the PGM-FI Main Relay are, as long as you mark down the color and what it is as your testing, [that is why testing is done in the order I layed out] you will end up with that one lead left over, with the PTGM-FI Main Relay plugged in and the ign. on, use the paper clip to jump from the black ground lead to the ECU/ECM fuel pump relays control lead, hopefully the pump does not run, if it does the problem is not bad solder connections in the PGM-FI Main Relay, the problem is the ECU/ECM.

If the pump does not run, pull the PGM-FI Main Relay, slide the cover off and resolder the connections, plug it back in and see if it fixed the problem.

If the jump did turn on the fuel pump, before you go out and get a new ECU/ECM, turn on the ign. switch and test for power at IGP1 and IGP2, they will be the same color as the fuel injector relays output lead and the fuel injector power leads and will be the only two leads that color at the ECU/ECM, if good, the ECU/ECM is bad. 94

 

Wow, that was extremely informative. I really appreciate the help. But fortunately nothing was wrong with my main relay. I've been wrenching all day and didn't get around to looking at this til now, but I spent a good 2 hours or so taking apart the connectors and looking/cleaning all the connections for the wires. They were in some pretty bad conditions so I took the time to go through and re-solder the worst ones(had frayed and nicked wire ends) and cleaning the rest of them up really well, including all the grounding points. After some well needed wire maintenance I turned the key over and the fuel pump was priming like a champ...unfortunately im still having some starting issues but one problem at a time right? And thanks for all the info. Will definitely jot this down for any future needs, shall they arise.

 

So what are the "starting issues" now? 94

 

It is trying to crank but it wont start. My firing order is coreect and I have spark at the plugs. The weird thing to me is when I turn the key to the on position(II) the CEL comes on for 2 seconds and then goes off like normal. But when I try to crank the engine it will come back on...unfortunately I don't have a code reader to pull the codes.

 

Btw, it's a d16z6 in case that helps clarify things any lol

 

You will need to clarify, "It is trying to crank but it wont start" and just so we are on the same page in terminology...

Crank, is what the engine does when you turn the ign. key to the start position, EG; the engine cranks or is cranking means the starter motor is working.

Start, means engine fires and runs.

So are you saying the starter motor is not working properly, cranking slowly or only for a short time? 94

 

It cranks but it wont start. The starter is working just fine. It will keep cranking until the battery dies if I let it.

 

You need spark, fuel and compression along with mechanical and ign. timing for engine to start/run, one or more of the above is missing.

Have you confirmed spark is good, at all four cylinders, using an HEI spark tester?

Have you confirmed fuel pressure is good?

Have you confirmed fuel is getting into the cylinders, fuel injectors "firing" properly?

Have you confirmed compression is good?

Have you confirmed mechanical timing, [valve timing] is correct, timing belt may have skipped a tooth or more.

Have you confirmed ign. timing? 94

 

It's a spark issue. There is no spark at the spark plugs.(used a tester) The distributor was replaced not long ago on the car as well. Fuel pressure is good, used a fuel pressure test kit to check it. The fuel injectors are "firing" properly. Compression test for the cylinders was normal. And timing is all good. What would cause there to be no spark other than the distributor ignitor and ignition coil?

 

Either the Coil or ICM, or possibly, no power to IGP1 and/or IGP2 at ECU/ECM.

Does the tach needle "bounce" a little when trying to start?

If not, the ICM is bad.
If so, most likely the coil is bad.

Just to be sure, make sure connections to the coil and ICM are good and tight. 94

 

All the connections were clean and tight. When I tried to start it the tach wasn't budging. I changed it out and still have the same exact issue. No needle jump, and no spark is getting to the plugs. Its hard for me to believe that the icm would be bad being brand new.

 

If you have power to the distributor assembly, [black/yellow] when ign. switch is in both the run and start positions and engine cranks but tach needle does not "bounce" a little it is a indication that the ICM is bad, new or not.

Have you checked for power at IGP1&2 at the ECU/ECM, again with ign. switch in both the run and start positions? 94

 

there is no power getting to the dizzy in either the run or start positions. im gonna try checking the pins at the ecu. just have to figure out the easiest way to do this lol

 

There's no power at either of those pins. In on or start position

 

You have more then one problem, power for the distributor assembly does not come from ECU/ECM, it is supplied by the ign. switch, I would test the outputs of the ign. switch, specifically the black/yellow, with ign. switch in both the run and start positions.

Power for IGP1&2 at ECU/ECM is supplied by the PGM-FI Main Relay, [fuel injector relay].

You did say the fuel pump primes, right?

With ign. switch in both run and start positions, test for power at the injectors, [lead that is the same color at all four injectors.

This may be an ign. switch problem, other then the fact you said fuel pump primes.

Are you sure the pump is priming? 94

 

The fuel pump does indeed prime.

 

That would mean ign. switch is good, so problem of no power to distributor assembly and IGP1&2 must be connection problems. 94

 

could be a bad distributor

 

That's what I was thinking to. But the fact that no power is getting to it makes me think otherwise

 

Check engine harness connections, may just be corrosion.94

 

sorry it has taken me so long to respond, I've been getting everything ready to make my move back to michigan. But I've spent a good amount of time inspecting wires and connections on my engine harness. There doesn't seem to be damage on the connectors or wires themselves. I did find an awful amount of corrosion on my grounding wires and a few others that I thoroughly cleaned. Still no avail. So I shooting the wires to check their continuity to see if there was a possible break in the wires that I may have missed when inspecting them. I don't know the exact limits for the power wire (leading from the ignition switch connector on the underdash fuse box to the distributor connector) but it had a reading of 27 ohms and that seems a little high. I'm still doing some digging around but if you have any suggestions or info I'm willing to take everything into account at this point.

 

capacitors inside of the ecu are known to do this. google p28 fuel pump not priming. it will give you the known bad ones. My friend had this same issue and replaced the caps and it worked fine.

also pull the codes u dont need any special tool just a paperclip to jump the 2 pin harness near the ecu and read blink codes

 

The caps are the issue for the fuel pump not priming? If so I've solved that issue...